Oklahoma City Thunder rookie center Aday Mara has impressed throughout the preseason, but the 21-year-old has another passion away from basketball that he takes seriously: fishing.
As Oklahoma City prepares to open its 2026-27 regular season Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs, Mara recently discussed his excitement about living in Oklahoma City during a video shared by Baloncesto España.
“What I like most is that it's small and there are not many distractions, so to speak. And besides, last year I started fishing, there are lakes, I would like to fish. Don't laugh, it's serious. Fishing is a serious thing,” Mara said.
When Sergio de Larrea asked how many fish he had caught, Mara responded:
“Many, many. I could show you photos.”
The lighthearted exchange comes after Mara established himself as one of Oklahoma City's most promising young players during the preseason.
Aday Mara prepares for Thunder regular-season debut vs. Spurs
The 7-foot-3 center averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 blocks across five preseason appearances while shooting an impressive 78.8% from the field.
His standout performance came against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 7, when he recorded 22 points on perfect 10-for-10 shooting, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
Article Continues BelowMara also delivered 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 12, demonstrating his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Mara joins an Oklahoma City roster looking to return to championship contention after losing to San Antonio in seven games during last season's Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder will begin their campaign against the Spurs on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. PT on NBC, giving Mara his first opportunity to translate his impressive preseason production into regular-season success.